My Skin Hurts!

I guess this is a follow up to my schizo skin post. I'd like to try RedCat's suggestion but that would mean a $56 investment from me and I have no idea if it will truly work. Plus my skin hurts and I would have to wait for the items to arrive.

My skin feels dry, red, irritated, flaky due to the winter weather. However within an hour of washing it is also looks oily.

I wash twice a day with Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash and probably need something more gentle. I haven't been wearing makeup, except to spot cover any major breakouts. I have been spot treating a couple areas with a slight amount of bp which could possibly be making the situation worse.

Comments

Aveeno is pretty gentle. Some other gentle ones are Purpose and Cereve..have you tried either of these. Cereve also has a pretty good moisturizer. I would definately moisturize everytime after you wash and I would be washing with cool water..the warmer the water the more it will dry you out.

I'm sorry your skin is painful. I know how it feels, I hope this helps:

The Oil Free Acne Wash and the bp are probably making your skin hurt. I would try Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser and switch to an acne product with salycilic acid instead (but avoid the eye area and any other area that it particularly sensitice). Also, some moisturizers can make your skin hurt. Aveeno does that to me. I use Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer. It is the only SPF 30 that doesn't hurt my face. Also, don't use scrubs or masks and wash your face with room temperature water - not hot or cold.

I would switch to more gentle products immediately if I were you. I have a lot of experience with painful sensitive skin. I have found that irritating it makes me break out. The gentler I am and the less I do to my skin, the clearer my skin is.

Have you tried unscented Lubriderm? It has a light-blue nozzle. Believe it or not, it makes a very good facial moisturizer (unless you need something very rich). It's noncomedogenic, doesn't feel greasy or look shiny, and is pretty moisturizing. It might sting a tiny bit if your skin is raw, but anything would.

Maybe you should try treating your face very gently for a few days, using only moisturizer and a non-soap cleanser like the Aveeno with the pale-tan nozzle (can't remember the name). Get rid of extra oil using face blotters. Once your face stops hurting, exfoliate. You can use a wet terry-cloth towel or a scrub, and maybe follow up with a face brush (they sell non-electric ones. Then slowly and judiciously reintroduce anti-blemish products into your routine, and use them for spot-treatment only.

Burt's Bees makes a lettuce soap for sensitive skin that I've switched to for weashing my face at night in the wintertime. It's effective, but very gentle and doesn't dry out my skin. I skip any kind of toner, and apply a salycylic acid gel at night. In the morning I oil cleanse and use an ACV toner and two drops of jojoba oil in place of regular mositurizer. My skin is MUCH less dry than it was last winter, and not breaking out or oily.

2b copper penny red"While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats."

I was paranoid about doing OCM at first too, but it really did work for me. In fact I had to stop doing it twice a day because my skin was getting dry! I make my own ACV toner – 1/4 ACV, 3/4 filtered water with a drop or two of lavender oil. I use it once a day and don't use any toner at night.

At night I use Avon's Clearskin Overnight Blemish Treatment. It doesn't dry my skin out, but it works pretty well. It's 1.5% SA.

2b copper penny red"While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats."

The weather has been milder lately so my skin isn't feeling that bad. I have stopped spot treating areas with bp. I haven't changed my cleanser but have been trying to use less of it. I plan on going to the store tonight and getting a more mild cleanser. I also want to try using the jojoba oil as a moisturizer.

Trader Joes will most likely be the cheapest place. While you are there and if you need a good lip balm, I highly recommend Virtuoso (green and white tubes). I think you get 3 tubes for $3.99 or so. This is the BEST lip balm.

Keep us updated...

Also...not to get off topic, but any updates about your job situation?

Also...not to get off topic, but any updates about your job situation?

I'm not sure if I should even go there, I don't want to seem like a complainer. But they are completely shady and I feel that I'm being edged out of a job. I really don't want to work for underhanded people like this and am hoping I get layed off.